Genital Herpes

What Is Genital Herpes?

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). There's no cure for genital
herpes, but medicines can help control the infection.

What Are STDs?

STDs (also called sexually
transmitted infections or STIs) are infections that spread through sex (vaginal, oral,
or anal) or close sexual contact.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Genital Herpes?

Most people with genital herpes don't have any symptoms. They may not even know
they are infected.

Some people with genital herpes can have "outbreaks" of sores in the
genital and anal area. (Genitals are the sexual or reproductive organs that are on
the outside of the body.) The sores heal within a few weeks. Outbreaks can be brought
on by stress, illness, being overly tired, or being in sunlight. Girls can have outbreaks
when they get their periods.

The first outbreak often is the most severe. Outbreaks usually become less severe
over time.

What Causes Genital Herpes?

Two viruses cause genital herpes:

herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)

herpes simples virus type 2 (HSV-2)

HSV-1 is the
virus
that causes cold
sores around the mouth. It can cause genital herpes when it spreads through oral
sex. But most of the time, genital herpes is caused by HSV-2.

How Do People Get Genital Herpes?

People can get infected with genital herpes when:

They have vaginal or anal sex with someone with genital herpes (even if there
are no sores).

They receive oral sex from a partner who has oral herpes (cold sores).

They touch a herpes sore and then touch their own genitals.

Their genitals touch the skin in the genital area of someone who is infected (even
if there are no sores).

Genital herpes can spread even if there are no sores because the virus is still
in the body. The virus sometimes "sheds" in the skin near the genitals.
When the virus is shedding, it can infect another person.

How Is Genital Herpes Diagnosed?

To find out if someone has genital herpes, health care providers do tests on:

fluid from a sore

blood (if no sores are present)

People with genital herpes need to tell recent, current, and future sex partners
about their infection. Because someone may never have symptoms or may not have symptoms
for months to years after infection, a current partner may not be the source of the
infection.

How Is Genital Herpes Treated?

There is no cure for genital herpes. But health care providers can prescribe medicine
to help:

stop outbreaks or make them happen less often and be less severe if they do happen

reduce the risk of spreading genital herpes to others

Can Genital Herpes Be Prevented?

The only way to prevent genital herpes and other STDs is abstinence.
This means not having sex (oral, vaginal, or anal). If someone decides to have sex,
using a latex condom
every time can prevent most STDs.

But condoms can't always prevent the spread of genital herpes. This is because
the virus may be in the skin near the genitals (and not covered by a condom).

Looking Ahead

Genital herpes is a lifelong condition, but there are ways to manage it. If you
have genital herpes:

Take medicines to stop outbreaks or make them less frequent and less severe.

Help reduce the risk of spreading genital herpes to others by taking medicines,
always using a condom during sex, and avoiding sex during outbreaks.